Seventeen Forever
by Leabell323
Summary: "We're one mistake from being together, But let's not ask why it's not right, You won't be seventeen forever, And we can get away with this tonight". Songfic based on "Seventeen Forever" by Metrostation.
1. You Feel Like Heaven When We Touch

So I've never written for Dom and Letty before, but I have been shipping them for a while. Since F8 came out I've been rewatching the movies, and I have basically become obsessed with them! I have read so much Dotty fanfiction but havent been inspired, until today. I was going through some old music of mine, and "Seventeen Forever" by Metrostation came on, and Dom and Letty popped in my head. I decided to make this story a 4 chapter story, starting when Letty is 15 and Dom is 22 and ending with Letty being 17 and Dom being 24. This is the first chapter, focusing on the first verse of the song. Letty is 15, Dom is 22. I hope everyone enjoys and feedback is always welcome!

* * *

 _You are young and so am I._

 _And this is wrong, but who am I to judge_

 _You feel like heaven when we touch_

 _I guess for me this is enough_

Dom looked up from the car he was working on towards the laughter. Before six months ago, the garage stayed relatively quiet, other then tools clanking to the ground, engines roaring, and exasperated sighs. That all changed one a Friday night at the races, when the beautiful laughing latina in front of him made her first appearance in his life. Dom remembered the night clearly, playing the memory in his head like a movie.

It was hot and dry, like most September nights, and when he left his car, he felt the perspiration building on his bald head. As he got out of his car, he saw the other car pull up next to him, and walked to the passenger side opening the door for Mia. She nodded in thanks, as Vince walked to her side, angrily eyeing all the guys who began staring at his beautiful little sister. Dom appreciated his anger, but felt a twinge when Vince put his arm around her shoulders possessively. Mia rolled her eyes and shrugged his arm off as she scanned the crowd behind him. He was scanning the crowd as well, looking at all the scantily clad racer chasers, when his little sister squealed and pushed past him. Dom turned as she walked towards a girl that looked to be about her age. At first he couldn't really see her, as his sister enveloped her in a hug, but as Mia pulled away he was able to examine her. She was about average height, but still shorter then his sister. Her hair was dark, almost black, and was almost straight with a slight curl at the end. Her eyes were a dark brown and she wasn't wearing any make up, that he could tell at least, but he thought she didn't need it. She wasn't pretty like the other racer chasers, she was exotic and tan and breathtaking, because in that moment Dom had to mentally tell himself to breath. She was young but she had a body like a woman. Her considerable chest was practically spilling out of her tank top. Her flat stomach was showing, and she was wearing a short leather skirt, which accentuated her ass and showed off her long tan legs. As the two girls walked towards them, Vince elbowed him, which made Dom realize that he was staring and that his mouth was slightly open. He cleared his throat and tried to think of something, anything other then how much he wanted to bend her over his car and hear her moan his name. Dom mentally slapped himself, reminding himself she was his sisters friend, meaning she's probably 15 too.

"Letty this is my brother Dom and his friend Vince. Dom, Vince, this is Letty Ortiz."

Vince and Letty both nodded at each other, while Dom continued staring.

"Letty Ortiz, why does that name sound familiar?"

Dom only realized he said his thought out loud when Mia answered.

"Oh I don't know Dom, maybe because Letty has lived down the street from us for years 5 years and I hang out with her all the time?"

Mia was glaring at him, annoyed by his comment, but Letty didn't seem to be paying him any attention, instead looking past him at his car.

"Oh right."

"Look I'm gonna walk around with Letty, I'll be back before you race."

Mia grabbed Lettys arm and the two girls walked off.

"Make sure of it Mia." Dom yelled out after her, not that she had even waited for his response.

"Whats your deal man?"

Dom looked at Vince questioningly.

"Its not like its the first time you've seen Letty before."

"Yeah I know, she just, um, looks different."

Dom knew Vince noticed something was up with him, but he hoped his words were explanation enough for his friend. He didn't want to have to explain to him his lustful thoughts towards the teenager.

"Well from what Mia said she spent the summer in the DR so maybe she got a tan or something. I'm gonna go talk to Hector and figure out who we're racing."

Dom watched Vince walk off still deep in thought. The truth was he knew that name. It belonged to a little girl he saw his sister hang out with a few times at his house about 4 years ago. After that, he remembered Mia spending a lot of time over at her house. He had never been formally introduced to her, had only seen her in passing, and could only vaguely remember what she looked like. His memory of her was nothing like what he just saw.

Dom snapped back to reality to the sound of her laughing again. She was next to his dad at the car they were working on. Her hair was in a ponytail, but there were strands of hair framing her face. She had coveralls on, but they were pulled down to her waist, showing her white grease stained tank top. He could hear his dad talking about Dom and Mia when they were kids, and he guessed thats why she was laughing. Over the past 6 months Letty had become a fixture in his life. She began working at the garage a few hours a week after school and on weekends, she hung out more with his sister at their house, and on the weekends she came to the races and partied with them afterwards. They had never hung out alone, only with his sister and Vince, but since spending time with her the past few months he realized a few things about Letty. First and foremost, she was brave and tough. After their initial introduction, Vince raced and then Dom. Dom, being his cocky egotistical self noticed the latina watching him with his sister at the finish line. He was beating the other racers by what seemed like miles and decided he wanted to make his win even more impressive. He decided the only way to do that would be to turn his car so he was driving in reverse and then shift back at the last second, crossing the finish line as he righted his car. Unfortunately that didn't quite happen. Dom underestimated his speed and just as he went to turn his car around, he flipped it, but that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was seeing his sister and Letty in front of him as he rolled, right in the path of is car. That was the last thing he saw before he hit his head and briefly lost consciousness. Vince told him later that Letty pushed Mia away from the oncoming car while simultaneously diving out of the way. Mia was unharmed, but unfortunately Letty cut her wrist pretty bad on part of his hood that tore off from the accident. Dom never mentioned it to her, but he was grateful she pushed Mia out of the way. They may not always get along, but he loved his sister wholeheartedly, and he knew he never would have forgiven himself if she even had a scratch on her. Vince told him that after the dust settled, the first thing Letty did was check on Mia, only realizing the cut on her wrist was bleeding when she almost fell over, as her quick movements and blood loss caused her to become dizzy. Dom saw the cut afterward and it was huge, but Vice said she didn't complain once, and didn't even want the doctor to numb the area before stitching her up. He had never met a woman as tough as Letty.

The next thing he learned was that she knew a lot more about cars and racing then what he would have expected. Dom recalled waking up in the ER, seeing his sister, Vince, Letty and his father.

"Dom, can you hear me son? You were in an accident and you're in the hospital, can you hear me?"

Dom tried to nod, and heard his dad announce he was going to get a doctor. He returned shortly and the doctor examined him, explaining that other then a mild concussion and a cut on his head, he didn't seem to have any other injuries, and could be discharged. His father left the room to go sign paperwork, leaving the four of them alone.

"Jesus Dom what the hell were you thinking you could have killed yourself."

Dom looked towards his sister, noticing the tear stains on her face. He felt bad he scared her and upset her. He thought making her laugh might help the situation.

"I'm sorry Mi, it played out a lot better in my head."

Dom heard Vince chuckle but was cut off by the look on Letty's face. Apparently he was wrong.

"What a fucking dumbass."

"What?"

Dom was shocked. Letty had barely said three words to him all night, and now all her anger was directed at him. He knew he deserved it, but he wasn't expecting the reaction he was getting.

"You heard me. I mean with the size of you're head I would've thought you had a little more brain in there. You couldn't even figure out that you were going way too fast for that kind of maneuver? So much for being the king of the streets."

Dom, knew he deserved anger, but he wouldn't take anyone questioning his title. He chuckled at her pretending his pride wasn't wounded by her words.

"What do you even know about racing little girl?"

Letty closed the distance between herself and Dom, coming closer to his hospital bed, as Dom inched slightly away from her. She looked pissed, almost devilish, like she was about to rip his throat out.

"Don't _ever_ call me little girl again dip shit. And apparently I know a lot more about racing than you do. As soon as you put your car in reverse I told your sister and Vince here that you were going way to fast and would probably roll you're car once you tied to turn it back around. The only thing I didn't bank on was you trying to take the three of us out with you. You're lucky you knocked yourself out because if you hadn't I would've."

Letty turned to leave the room, his sister smirking behind her.

"She did call it man."

Dom glared at his friend who was chuckling, apparently finding it funny that Letty had chewed his ass out.

"Dom?"

Dom looked up to see Letty snapping her fingers at him.

"Earth to Dom? You in there man?"

Dom shook his head from the memories of their first meeting, and tried to focus on what she was saying to him.

"Sorry what did you say?"

"You're dad got a call and had to leave. Vince already left for the day, I was wondering if I could catch a ride home with you?"

"Yeah sure thats fine."

"Cool."

She walked back to the car she was working on with his dad, and they both finished working in silence. Before Dom knew it, it was time to close the garage. Dom went to lock the office as Letty changed out of her coveralls. She walked out in the same grease stained tank top, but with the addition of low cut short shorts, once again showing off her flat stomach and long legs. Dom watched as she bent over, flipping her hair in front of her, only to grab her hair with both hands and stand upright, tying it into a messy bun. He must've been staring at her again because he heard Letty clearing her throat, trying to get his attention.

"You okay man? You keep staring at me all weird?"

Dom smirked at her.

"Not like I'm looking at much anyway. Lets go, I gotta lock up."

Letty shook her head at him, mumbling "whatever" as she followed him outside to his car. As Letty opened the passenger side door he noticed a mark on her wrist. Without thinking he grabbed her arm, turning it so he could get a better look.

"What you don't recognize your handiwork?"

Letty had a smirk on her face at first, but her smirk became a frown as she watched him examine her wrist.

"Its not a big deal ya know. Just a few stitches, and it didn't really even hurt that much."

Dom sighed.

"It doesn't matter. I was too proud to admit it that night but I shouldn't have tried that stunt, I could have hurt you."

Dom and Letty looked deeply into each others eyes. He was having trouble forming coherent thoughts, but he knew what he felt. He felt angry at himself for putting her in danger, he felt sad that she had a scar, a reminder of his stupidity and recklessness, and he felt fire. Her skin was hot and he felt the heat rise through his body at their touch. Then the thoughts came, the thoughts he tried so hard to suppress the past 6 months, the thoughts of him and Letty tangled in sheets, up against walls, on the couch in the garage. He thought about her smile and her lips and what she would taste like. He thought about and felt her smooth, soft skin and wondered what the skin on the rest of her body felt like. He lifted his other hand up to her face, wanting to cup her cheek and pull her close to him so their mouths could finally meet. But he didn't. Instead he pushed the stray piece of hair behind her ear and dropped her wrist from his other hand. She continued to look at him, and he thought for a second that he saw a hint of disappointment, but instead she responded snarkily as always.

"The only life in danger that night was yours papa. If I wasn't bleeding like I was I would've pulled you from your car myself and kicked your ass for acting stupid."

He watched as she turned and got in the car. He imagined himself on the floor, Letty straddling him as she punched him, and couldn't help but smile. If she was kicking his ass at least that meant she was touching him, and he realized he would give anything to be able to touch her again.


	2. And I Can Feel Your Heartbeat

Here is chapter 2. It is set about a month and a half from the first chapter. Letty is still 15 and Dom is still 22. I hope everyone enjoys and let me know what you all think!

* * *

 _You are young and I am scared_

 _You're wise beyond your years, but I don't care_

 _And I can feel your heartbeat_

 _You know exactly where to take me_

Dom sighed as he pulled up in front of his house. He parked his car and sat there for a minute collecting his thoughts, trying to figure out what he was going to tell Letty, Vince, and his sister. It had been 2 weeks since his father died and 1 week since he almost killed Linder. He had spent a few days in jail, but was able to leave on bail. He had just got back from meeting with his court appointed attorney, who was able to arrange a plea deal for him with the District Attorney. He had to plead guilty and agree to spend 4 years in Lompoc, with the chance of parole after two years. Dom didn't like the deal, he didn't want to go to jail and leave everyone, but his lawyer said that was his best shot, because if it went to trial he could go away for a lot longer and possibly lose his chance for parole. His lawyer and the district attorney were nice enough, they understood the events that lead up to him assaulting Linder, but they also warned him a judge and jury might not be as understanding, and once he went to trial there was no going back. Dom accepted the deal and was told he needed to report back to the police station to be transferred tomorrow morning. He didn't like it but he accepted it. He knew he needed to take responsibility for his actions. He had already spoken to Lettys mom, who agreed to take temporary custody of Mia. Legally Mia would be her responsibility, but with the house already paid off, they agreed Mia would be okay living in the house with Vince. He had already spoken to the executor of his dads estate, and after everything was finalized, there would be enough money to keep the store and garage open. Most of the money would go to Linder and his family, who his attorney already made a settlement with. They got 100 grand upfront and agreed to never ask for or try to sue Dom or Mia for more money. The 50 thousand left over from his dads life insurance policy as well as the savings his father left them with would keep the garage and store open. He was grateful his father had already paid for the funerals arrangements, and his will indicated he did that so Dom and Mia wouldn't have to worry about anything in the event he passed. He sighed again, thinking about how much his father loved them. Dom had barely even processed his fathers passing and now he was going to spend at least the next two years in jail. Dom sighed again as he got out of his car and walked into the house.

"DOM!"

Mia ran into his arms.

"What happened what did they say?"

Dom saw Vince and Letty walk into the living room, and waited for them to sit down.

"Look I don't really know how to tell you guys this, so I'm just going to say it. I took a deal. The lawyer and DA understood the situation but I couldn't take the chance that a judge or jury might not."

"How long."

This time it was Letty that spoke. Her eyes looked darker then normal and her eyebrows were furrowed. She was wearing a simple tank top and jeans, but he noticed she was holding Mias hand. Dom looked down, breaking the eye contact with her as he spoke.

"4 years but I'm eligible for parole after 2."

As soon as he said the words Mia broke into a sob, and started hyperventilating. He knew this would hurt her, but he still wasn't prepared to break his sisters heart. He crouched down in front of her and grabbed her hand.

"Mia I'm sorry but it was the best choice. I could have gone away for 10-25 with no chance of parole. As long as I'm on my best behavior I'll be out in 2 years, before you know it. Everything is taken care of."

Before he finished speaking he looked at Vince, wanting him to pay close attention.

"Lettys mom agreed to take legal custody of you, but you and Vince are still going to live here. The house is paid off, the only thing you'll have to pay for is the bills here and at the garage. I paid Linders family, and they can't ask for anything else from us and the money that dad had saved and the rest of his life insurance policy will be enough to help with any bills here and at the garage and store. I took care of everything."

Vince nodded at Dom indicating he understood.

"W-when Dom. W-when do you have to go?"

"Tomorrow morning."

Mia jumped into his arms, still sobbing. Dom picked her up and brought her to her room so they could talk in private. After about 30 minutes, Mia was able to calm down enough to talk with Dom and although she was angry and sad, she told Dom she still loved him, and it meant the world to him. They had dinner as a family and stayed up until 11, talking like nothing was wrong, and eventually Mia passed out. Vince brought her upstairs, also excusing himself, as he wanted to get some sleep since he was bringing Dom to the police station tomorrow and needed to meet with the lawyer from his dads estate about putting his name on the accounts as well. It was just him and Letty left, on the couch as they both sipped a corona. Usually Dom would give her a hard time about drinking, but he didn't have the heart tonight.

"I'm sorry Let."

"Nothing to be sorry for. I would have done the same to Linder if You hadn't beaten me to it. The smug bastard deserved it."

"He did, but I almost killed him. If you hadn't stopped me..."

Letty had been with Dom when it happened and somehow managed to get him to stop hitting Linder with the wrench.

"Don't mention it. He deserved it but I wasn't going to let you kill him. I knew you wouldn't have been able to live with yourself if you had. You're not a killer Dom."

They both took a swig of their beer, and sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes.

"I just don't know how I got here Let. I was just so angry. I was angry about my dad, I was angry that Linder got to live, I've never been so angry before in my life and I couldn't control it, but now, now I'm just scared."

Letty looked at him questioningly, almost shocked at his confession, but stayed quiet, allowing him to continue if he wanted.

"I'm scared for you and Mia and Vince. I'm scared that something will happen and I won't be here to protect any of you."

"You're not scared for yourself?"

Dom thought for a second.

"Yes and no. I mean, I've heard about prison. There's plenty people at the races that have done time and I know it sucks, but I just figure that...I got myself into this situation and I need to deal with the consequences, whatever they may be."

Letty smirked at him as she took another sip.

"When did you get so mature Toretto?"

Dom chuckled as he took a sip of his own.

"I wouldn't go as far as to say I'm mature, I just know that's what my dad would want. I remember, it was just after I turned 18, we were working on the charger, and we were talking. I brought up this guy who was giving me a hard time at the races. I had made a comment that I wanted to kick his ass or something, show him up, when my dad put his tools down and he looked at me. I swear it was like he looked right inside of me. And he said "Son, you're a man now, and part of being a man is taking responsibility. You are the only one that controls how you live your life, you're entitled to make bad choices but just know that when you do, you have to own up to them and take responsibility." I had just made that comment, not really thinking, and I realized that if I wanted to be a man I couldn't act like that anymore. I needed to be smarter like my dad."

"You're dad was a smart guy."

"Yeah he was. And he wouldn't be happy with the choice I made, but I keep telling myself he would be happy that I'm owning it."

Letty nodded in agreement finishing her beer. She smiled to herself and chuckled a little.

"What's so funny."

"Nothing. I just thought that it's your last night of freedom and you're here, talking with me. Dominic Toretto King of the Streets, manwhore extroidonairre, is talking to his friend instead of getting laid."

Dom chuckled to himself as well.

"Ya know, the thought never even crossed my mind. After I made that deal I just thought about you three and getting home to you guys."

"Well you're free to go, don't let me stop you, I should probably go to bed anyway, tomorrow is gonna be a long day at the garage."

Letty went to stand up, but Dom grabbed her arm.

"I'd like you to stay Let. If you want. I'd like to keep talking to you."

Dom and Letty stared at each other again, with Letty finally sitting down on the couch next to him, this time closer then she was before. She didn't try to move her arm away from him, so he didn't bother to let go. Since that night at the garage he had touched her a few more times. Nothing sexual, just a hand graze while reaching for tools or arms brushing against one another while walking. Each time felt like fire. He still couldn't get over how soft her skin was. He used his thumb to gently stroke her wrist and turned his body to face her. She shifted so she was facing him, and he looked into her eyes. He used his free hand to move a stray hair behind her ear, and palmed her cheek using his thumb to stroke it.

"I'm not sleeping with you Dom."

Dom smiled at her.

"I wasn't expecting you too. Letty I've been.."

"Don't Dom."

Dom was shocked Letty cut him off. He stayed silent waiting for her to finish speaking. She looked down before she continued.

"You're father just died, you're going to prison tomorrow. You're not exactly in the best state of mind right now. Don't say something that you don't really mean because you can't take it back."

Dom listened to her words. On one hand she was right, emotionally, he was barely hanging on. But he was sure about how he felt about her. He had been unwilling to admit it to himself before, but between losing his dad and now being away for the next few years he knew he had to tell her.

"I love you Letty. I am in love with you. I've been in love with you since the night at the races and I've tried not to be. I know you're young and this is a lot but I don't know what's going to happen to me in there and I want you to know. I want you to know how important you are to me and how much I care about you. You don't have to say anything, hell you don't even have to believe me. But it's how I feel Let and I want you to know."

Letty lifted her head up and looked back into his eyes. He could see her, searching, looking for the truth, looking for any indication he was lying or unsure of his words. He wasn't though and he could tell that she knew he was telling the truth. Before he knew it Letty was straddling him, never breaking eye contact with him. She had her hands resting on his shoulders and almost instinctively Dom put his hands gently on her waist. They were staring at each other, for what seemed like hours when Letty dipped her head closer to him, kissing him. If he had thought that touching her was fire, then kissing her was an inferno. He didn't know if it was the kiss or because she was kissing him while straddling him, but he felt like he could feel the flames. He felt consumed by them. And once they started it felt like he couldn't stop, breathing he damned. At first it was frenzied and aggressive, but eventually it turned soft and sensual. Letty was holding Doms face in her hands and Dom had one hand on the back of her neck and the other on her lower back. He almost completely engulfed her with his arms, holding on to her for dear life, afraid to let go because the truth was he didn't want the kiss to be over. He didn't want her to leave and he realized in that moment how much it was going to hurt him to leave her tomorrow. Knowing they could have had this, everyday for what he hoped would be forever. He have never understood addiction, but now he did. He got one taste of Letty and now he was addicted. He let out a small groan when Letty pulled away from him looking into his eyes again. She used her thumb to gently caress his cheek. He felt the fire at her touch.

"I should go Dom. Can, can I come visit you?"

"I don't know Let, I don't want you to have to go to a place like that. I don't want Mia to go either. But will you write to me?"

Letty nodded her head yes. He saw her eyes glaze over and saw she wanted to cry. He knew this was hurting her as much as it was hurting him, and even though she never said it, he knew she felt the same way about him. He knew she loved him too. He pulled her into a hug and she cried silently. He could hear and feel her heartbeat. Eventually the crying stopped and he realized she fell asleep. He couldn't wake her though. He knew it was selfish, but he just wanted to keep holding her, hearing her heartbeat. And that's how Vince found them the next morning. Dom with his arms around Letty as he held her on his lap. Vince wasn't too surprised, as he knew what they both felt for each other. He looked at his watch and saw they had some time. He walked back up the stairs deciding to give them another 5 minutes, knowing this would be their last 5 minutes together for a long time.


	3. Remember What I Said

This story is coming out quickly, so that means quick updates! This story jumps into the future, Letty is now 17 and Dom is now 24 and recently out of Lompoc. Theres a lot of angst in this chapter, but the last chapter will make all of this angst worth it! I hope everyone enjoys!

* * *

 _Will you remember me_  
 _You ask me as I leave_  
 _Remember what I said_  
 _Oh how could I, oh how could I forget_

Dom watched as the racer chaser walked to her car. She was blonde, big breasts, tiny waste, decent ass. She was a pretty good lay too. But she was a mistake. One skank on the long list of skanks he had gone through the past 2 months. Dom closed the door and noticed the light on in the kitchen. He walked towards it expecting it to be empty, when he saw his sister sitting at the table with a mug, probably tea. Mia hadn't changed much while he was in prison, still tall, hair a little longer. She looked up briefly at him as he walked into the door way, but she just shook her head and took a sip of her tea.

"What are you doing up Mi? It's almost 4."

Mia took another sip, but continued to ignore him. Dom sighed. He knew she was mad at him. She may not have told him but the glares, dirty looks, "accidental shoves" and burnt food gave him an idea. He also was pretty sure he knew why she was mad.

"Mi, if you're mad at me, I wish you would just tell me."

Mia chuckled as she spoke.

"Ladies and gentlemen lets clap it up for Dominic Toretto. He does have a brain."

"Stop acting like a kid Mia. If you have something to say then say it. Stop with the attitude."

Dom watched as Mia took a final sip of her tea and stared at him. He was about to say something else when she finally spoke.

"Dad would be disappointed in you. You know that right? I mean he never really cared when you slept around before, always saying it was a part of growing up for you. But you told her you loved her Dom. You told her you were in love with her. Dad is probably rolling in his grave right now with the way you're treating Letty. You know how he felt about love. You know why he never dated or slept with any other women after mom died. Their love was sacred to him. He respected it and cherished it even when she was gone. How could you tell her that and then trash it? I just don't understand."

Dom was shocked. He knew she was mad, but he didn't know she would bring their father or mother into it.

"I didn't realize she told you."

Mia slammed her hands on the table in anger. Apparently she was a lot madder then what he originally thought.

"You didn't know? Are you kidding me Dom? Are you that self centered? These past 2 years... it's just been Letty and I. I mean yeah Vince was around but he was living his own life. Letty and I got through all of this together Dom. She was my rock and I was hers. Did it slip your mind that her mother died a year ago? That just after we lost you and dad she lost her own parent. The only parent she had ever known. I knew how that felt Dom. We got through it together. Of course she told me what you said. And do you want to hear the saddest part Dom. She didn't believe you. She didn't believe one word out of your mouth that night. She wasn't going to hold you to anything, even though she really feels that way. I wanted to argue with her too, I wanted to tell her about mom and dad and how they taught us when we found love we needed to cherish and respect it. That you don't say those words unless you really mean them. But I figured I'd wait and tell her I told you so later. But you proved her right Dom. Not even 48 hours of being home and you're already sleeping with skanks. Did you forget what you told her? Or are you blatantly disrespecting her to her face? How can you treat her like this? It's Letty, it's not one of you're whores. She kept me alive Dom. She kept the garage open by helping Vince. She found Leon and Jesse to help out for next to nothing. She used the money her mom left her to keep the garage and store open. She is family Dom. How can you do this to family? How can you treat the woman you're in love with like this?"

Dom watched as Mia took a long breath, as she wiped the tears from her face. She wasn't sobbing like when their dad died or when he told her he was going to prison. The tears continued to silently roll down her face. He opened his mouth to try to speak but nothing came out. The truth was he didn't know what to say. He knew what he was doing was wrong. He knew Letty deserved better. But he couldn't stop. He couldn't look at her. He was...

"I'm fucked up Mia. Prison. It, it fucked me up. I don't even know how to explain it. Being in there, literally locked up, no way out. Words can't even describe how horrible that feeling was. I felt like an animal in a cage. And then when I got out. It's just been too much Mia. I'm not used to having a choice anymore. I'm used to being told what to do, when to do it, what to eat, when to eat, when to sleep, when to speak. That night was the only thing that got me through these past two years. I didn't forget what I told her Mia, and I still love her, I'm still in love with her. I thought about that night every day. What it felt like kissing her. What it felt like holding her. The sound of her heartbeating against my chest. The peaceful look on her face when she fell asleep in my arms. I dreamt about it more nights then I can count. I could never forget that night Mi. And when I thought about coming home I pictured getting out of the car and her running into my arms. I pictured us going back to the races, the king and queen of the streets. I saw us all living here together. I saw myself proposing to Letty and getting married and having kids. I still see it Mi. When I see my future all I see is Letty. I know what dad and mom taught us. I do respect and cherish her Mi, even if I haven't been acting that way. But I'm fucked up and I don't know how to fix myself. I'm not who I used to be and Letty deserves better then me. She deserves a guy that isn't fucked up. I want better for her and if that means sleeping around so she can move on and find better, then that's what I'm going to do."

Mia stared blankly at him.

"But what if she doesn't want better Dom. What if she wants you? You can't make decisions for her. If you're in love with her then you need to talk to her and let her make her own decisions. After the way you've been acting, she probably won't want anything more the friendship from you anyway. But she needs to make that choice Dom. Not you."

Mia slid her chair back away from the table, put her mug in the sink, and walked past her brother. Dom sat at the table a little while longer, thinking about what his sister had said. He let out a long sigh before heading to bed. He hated to admit it but his sister was right. He would need to talk to Letty tomorrow.

Dom woke up at about 2 to find that everyone was gone. He made his way to the kitchen and saw they didn't have any food in the house, so he figured they went to the store. It was Sunday so that meant they were having a barbecue. Ever since Dom got home, he reinstated Sunday barbecues and they had one every Sunday since he came back. Since no one was home and there was no food, Dom decided to go pick something up and head to the garage to take a look at the books. Ever since he got back, he had gone over the books for the past 2 years, and had started to take a look at them every week. He didn't know if it would help but they needed to find a way to cut costs and bring in more money. The only place he could think of to start was to check the numbers. As he pulled up to the garage with his food, he noticed Lettys car. Dom wondered why she would be at the garage on a Sunday. He opened the door to see her bent over the hood of a car. The owner dropped it off late on Friday and asked for it to be finished by mid day Monday. Dom told him they would try but didn't make any guarantees.

"I thought it might look good for us if we finished the car earlier then what he asked. Maybe he'll come back. We could use the business."

Dom knew she recognized his car engine and could tell it was him without looking. She stood upright and grabbed a towel, wiping the grease from her hands. She put the towel back down and closed the hood.

"You can check it over if you want but this should be good to go first thing tomorrow. I'm gonna head back to the house now, I'm sure Mia's back from the store by now and she's probably gonna need help."

Dom walked over to the couch and put his food on the small table in front of him.

"I got food if you're hungry. There's enough for the both of us if you want to stay."

Letty looked over at him and shook her head.

"Nah man I'm good thanks though."

Letty went to grab her jacket as Dom stood up to stop her.

"Let wait. I was wondering if we could talk."

Letty stared at him. He used to be able to read her face, and figure out what she was thinking but her face was blank.

"Didn't you and Mia talk enough last night?"

Doms face dropped. He didn't think Mia would tell her what they talked about. She was pissed but he knew she wanted him to work it out with Letty on his own. His back was to the kitchen doorway. Letty could have been listening and he wouldn't have even noticed her. He needed to figure out what she heard. He didn't mind her hearing Mia chew his ass out, but he wasn't sure how he felt about Letty hearing him confess his love of her to his sister.

"I wasn't try to eavesdrop or anything. I came down for some water and heard Mia yelling at you. I thought something might have happened for her to be yelling like that. But then when I realized you were talking about me I thought I had the right to listen."

Dom realized she must have heard everything and sighed. He took a step towards her and tried to grab her hand but she stepped backwards away from him, crossing her arms over her chest. Dom sighed again.

"Look Letty, what I said. I meant it. Everything I said about being in prison and thinking about that night. What I said about my future. Still being in love with you. I meant it. But I don't know what I can give you. I wasn't the most stand up guy before prison, but now. It's a lot harder. It's like I told Mia. I'm fucked up Let and you don't deserve that. You deserve safe and normal."

Letty stared at him for a few minutes before responding.

"Mia was right ya know. It's not your decision to make. These past 2 months you've been sleeping with anything that walks. But I haven't said a word Dom because it's your choice. Does it hurt me? More then you can imagine. But I still wake up and see you and hang out with you and work with you. I respect your choices even if I don't agree with them. But if you're fucking all those chicks to push me away and make me not love you, if you actually think that's going to work, then prison must have made you stupid. I liked you even before you knew I existed. It's going to take a lot more then a few skanks to make my feelings for you go away. Trust me I wish it was different but that's how it is. You need to let me decide what I want for myself just like I've let you decide for yourself. That's what you do when you love someone else."

Dom didn't know how to respond. He knew he was wrong. He regretted sleeping with those girls, before, during and after. In fact, he didn't even really enjoy it. It was just a release of his pent up energy from being locked up for two years. He knew he handled everything wrong. But what was he supposed to do now. He knew he needed to let her make her own choice, but he wanted her to choose him. It was a lot safer for him, making all the choices. He liked being in control. He enjoyed believing that Letty loved him and wanted him, but it was better for her if they stayed friends. If he gave her the choice what would she choose? What if she rejected him?

"I. I don't know what say Letty."

Letty sighed and dropped her arms to her side.

"I know you were just thinking something Dom. I know its not all air in there. Why don't you tell me what you were thinking."

Dom thought for a minute before responding.

"I was, I was agreeing with you. You're right. I shouldn't have made any choices for you. When I came back I should have talked to you. But the truth is I was scared Let. I knew how fucked up I was. I knew you deserved better. But what if you knew it too? What if everything I dreamed, was just that, a dream? What if you didn't want the person I am now? I know now it was selfish, but at least if I pushed you away, I didn't have to deal with you rejecting me."

Letty sighed again in frustration.

"So you were too proud to be rejected so you thought it was a good idea to fuck other chicks? Did you ever think for one second Dom that everything you dreamed about, that I dreamed it too? Did you ever think about what I was going through when you were in there? I mean I know I wasn't in prison but it hasn't exactly been rainbows and butterflies for me. My mom died Dom. Ive been trying to take care of Mia, and keep the garage and store open. Vince is older but he isn't exactly the best with the books. I dropped out of school to keep the place open Dom. And that wasn't entirely awful because you know I hated school, and I got my GED anyway but still. Shits been hard around here too without you and I'm not the same person either Dom. I also wasn't expecting you to come out of prison the same. Prison would fuck anyone up. I wasn't expecting everything to be sunshine and fucking unicorns, but I guess I was hoping that you would at the very least give this a chance. You told me you loved me Dom. You told me you were in love with me, and I would never admit it out loud to anyone but I believed it. I believed in you. But now, I don't know if I can trust you Dom. And I really don't see how this could work if I can't trust you."

Letty went to grab her jacket again, but Dom stood in front of her this time grabbing both of her hands. She didn't push him away, which he thought was a good sign. He stared into her eyes, again, feeling the same heat he had felt on their last night together. Even after his recent actions, the fire between them was still burning. He just had to figure out a way to keep it flaming.

"Letty please. Please tell me what I can do for you to trust me. I fucked up, I know that, but I'm not going to give up on this. I want you. I want a future with you. I'll do whatever it takes."

Letty pulled her hands away from him. He expected her to turn and walk away but she didn't. She lifted he arm and cupped his cheek with her hand. He couldn't help closing his eyes for a second, relishing the fire of her touch. He opened his eyes again at the sound of her voice.

"I wish I had and answer Dom, but it's like you said that night. You got yourself into this situation and you need to deal with the consequences, whatever they may be."

Letty kissed him on the cheek, grabbed her jacket and walked out of the garage. A few seconds later Dom heard the engine of her car and knew she was gone. He brought his hand up to his cheek, tracing where she kissed him. He almost expected there to be a burn or blister on his cheek, but he felt nothing. Dom sighed again and kicked at an empty toolbox. He cursed at no one in particular and sat down on the couch, rubbing his hands over is eyes.

What was he going to do now?


End file.
